Making a "Splotch" Patterned Tie-Dye T-Shirt

The Easiest Tie-Dye T-Shirt to Make!

The "splotch" is probably the easiest tie-dye design to make: it can be folded and dyed in moments. The drawback is that you can only use two colors.

Mix up the dyes, following the instructions on the dyes you have chosen. Many dyes, such as the popular procion dyes, are generally used in conjunction with other chemicals such as soda ash. Mix the correct quantity of dyes in the colors of your choice for the number of shirts you intend to make.
Once the dyes and shirts are prepared, you are ready to begin. To make a spiral design, your shirt should be damp. Spread it out on a large, smooth surface, such as a table.
Place both hands, fingers spread out, on the shirt. Using your fingers, make wrinkles in the shirt. The wrinkles should be about an inch “tall.” Bring in the shirt from the edges. Do not allow the shirt to fold over onto itself: keep it more or less flat, just wrinkled (see photo). When ready, your shirt should be roughly circular and entirely wrinkled.
Put two, three or four rubber bands on the shirt. They should hold it together and cross in the middle. It doesn’t really matter where they go. They should hold the wrinkles in place. Don’t make them too tight: if you do, they’ll cause the shirt to buckle and bend.
Using squirt bottles of dye, make the top of the shirt one color and the bottom another color (see photo). You’d think that this would give you a shirt with one color on the front and the other on the back, bit it doesn’t. Instead, you’ll get a nice splotch pattern.
Set the shirt somewhere where it can sit and dry for 24-48 hours. Once the time is up, rinse well and dry.

When applying the colors, be sensitive to how colors blend with one another. Since you only have two colors to work with, make sure they look good together. Blue and green makes a nicer shirt that looks a little like a map. Red and orange makes a nice fire-y looking shirt. Some combinations, such as yellow/purple, don’t work well because the colors make brown if they mix.
T-shirts should be all cotton, not polyester or 50/50. Only cotton will take and hold the dyes. 50/50 shirts come out looking pale and faded.
Be careful not to get any dye on your clothes when making tie-dye t-shirts: it will stain!
Tie-dyeing is a fun activity to do with kids.
There should naturally be a little bit of white left between the colors of your splotch shirt. If you want a lot of white, don’t apply too much color. If you don’t want any white, use a little more, just be careful not to drench your shirt or the colors will bleed together.